“I just have to say that you are an inspiration, Alex,” Julian said.
One person who hadn’t yet spoken was Ashton; neither had Char. Maybe they weren’t present. Voices buzzed in the background, and I couldn’t really discern what they were saying through the speakers.
“How much longer until you guys get here?” I asked.
“We should be another day,” Makara said. “And don’t worry. We’ll take care of everything.”
I almost felt tears come to my eyes at their level of commitment.
“Thanks. I can’t say that enough.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Michael said. “We’ll do this first thing. Like Makara said, we need something to celebrate. We’ve been working way too hard!”
“We can find some beer in Los Angeles,” Samuel said. “Or maybe Augustus has some wine we can use.”
This was becoming real. It was a bit overwhelming.
“Where are we having it?” Julian asked. “I know by New America, the beach is not so far away.”
“Yuck,” Makara said. “I’ve seen that water, and it looks like a giant Behemoth took a dump in it.”
“This is my homeland you speak of,” Julian said.
“Just telling you how it is,” Makara said.
“And where would you suggest, Makara?”
“Easy,” Makara said. “Why not Baja California? It’s beautiful, with that beach and those waves, with water so blue that you wouldn’t even believe it’s real. Besides, it’s warm, and not far from Nova Roma. Augustus might be willing to part with some food and beverages. For the sake of morale.”
Makara was right. The one time we did go there, to refill Odin, Baja was very beautiful. It was also where I’d kissed Anna for the first time, and told her how I felt.
“That’s perfect,” I said.
“I feel the same way,” Anna said. “I thought we were just going to do it here.”
“Skyhome?” Makara asked. “No way. There’s nothing romantic about that place.”
“I don’t know,” Samuel said. “You’re sort of among the stars, and all that greenery in the Outer Ring? It’s like something out of a dream.”
“I hope you’re kidding.”
“They could get married in front of the viewing deck,” Samuel went on, “and kiss right when the Earth passes!”
“Well,” Makara said, “it’s a good thing you’re not planning this wedding, brother.”
“I like Baja,” Michael said. “It should be warm enough if we go far enough south, like Makara said. The beach is a classic choice.”
Everyone murmured, apparently agreeing with Michael’s decision. I didn’t know how he nominated himself for the wedding planner position. It seemed like it should be more of a female role, but I trusted Michael to know what he was doing.
“Gus might be able to help out with flowers and stuff as well,” Makara said.
“Let’s keep it simple,” I said. “Let’s just see what we can throw together in a couple of days and go from there.”
“Alex, my lad,” Michael said. “It takes many weeks to plan a wedding.”
“Really? How long did yours take?”
Michael went quiet. “I don’t know. Five minutes, I guess. This is different, though. Everyone’s eye will be on you, and it has to be perfect.”
“Michael,” Anna said, suppressing a laugh, “I’ve never seen this side of you before. I think you’ve missed your calling.”
“We’ll see what we can cook up,” Michael said. “We’ve got the location down, and that’s half the battle.”
The others talked amongst themselves for a while, hammering out details. I heard Julian say something about getting Augustus on the line.
“Look,” I said. “We have to go.”
“Wait, we have questions to ask,” Michael said. “Who’s invited?”
“Anyone who wants to come!” I said. “This is your baby, now.”
“We need music,” Michael said. “And food.”
“New America can help with both!” Julian said. “My sister plays the guitar and sings. And she has friends that play guitar as well.”
“I’m glad,” I said. “Let us know what you guys come up with.”
Anna took me by the arm. “Alex, I know this isn’t your thing, but we’re going to need your input. Okay?”
I knew Anna was right. I nodded. “Alright.”
For the next hour or two, we planned. Food. Music. Invitees. We could use the ship’s galleys to cook, as well as make fire pits for roasted pork. If Augustus agreed, we could get some wine, food, and flowers from him. Maybe even a dress for Anna.
The only thing that wasn’t mentioned was that this marriage could only last a few days — and from the way they were throwing together this celebration, it was as if they planned on its lasting a lifetime.
When most everything had been settled, Michael spoke.
“Alright. All we have to do is get Augustus on the line and confirm that we can use his resources. We’ll have to get everything to the wedding site. And there are cooks to find, people to raise the pavilion, chairs, tables…”
“It sounds like you’ll be busy,” Anna said.
“All of us will,” Julian said. “There’s so much to do.”
I was grateful to have friends like these, who not only supported my decision, but were going to do everything they possibly could to make it unforgettable. The most important part, though, was that I was going to marry the girl I loved. Even if it wasn’t going to be forever, we were showing the world that it mattered. That we mattered, even if our mission demanded that we make the ultimate sacrifice. It would be the last thing people expected, to defy the tragedy of our situation.
The fact that we would all die made the living all the more important. Life was sacred because it was so easily extinguished; it was also sacred because of its uncanny ability to endure, no matter what. We had the power to be happy, even in the midst of pain. We could celebrate, even if there was no real reason.
We celebrated because we were alive, because that was what we did.
Chapter 25
The arrangements with Augustus were made, and he agreed to provide all the requested items, on one condition: that he, his wife, and his children could be invited to the wedding. I would have wanted him there, anyway; he had proved a friend, even after our original distrust.
However one broke it down, I was glad Augustus was on our side. Maybe he still wanted to control everything, but in the end, Augustus was Augustus, and the Wasteland would probably be better off in his hands, anyway.
I was in the process of getting ready. There was less than an hour left, and I was getting nervous. Michael had trimmed my hair aboard the Perseus; Anna was getting ready on Orion. Thankfully, Michael left some length so that I wouldn’t be totally unrecognizable.
I looked in the mirror in the lavatory one last time. I was shaven, my hair trimmed, and clean. Even a healthy tan remained from my time in Nova Roma. I had to admit, Michael had made me as handsome as I’d probably ever be. There was a maturity to my face that had been lacking three months ago.
“Not bad,” Michael said. “You clean up good.”
“Thanks.”
I sat on my stool, staring at the brown clumps of hair that had fallen on the deck. Michael began to sweep them up, throwing them in a nearby garbage can. Once he was done, he brushed his hands together.
“Let’s get ready,” he said. “Ceremony’s getting close.”
I went to my cabin, dressing myself in the uniform laid out for me. I had protested at first, because I really wasn’t a soldier, and didn’t feel like I’d earned the right to dress like one. Michael told me that I was more soldier than a lot of soldiers he knew, and that put an end to the argument.